


Deep Blue, True Blue

by chassagne



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Black Mirror Episode: s03e04 San Junipero, Alternate Universe - Future, Dealing with space time and philosophical questions regarding the afterlife is TOUGH, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, [squidward voice] FUUUUTUUUUREEEE, meta-ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 18:36:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20030458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chassagne/pseuds/chassagne
Summary: A Valoris San Junipero!AU inspired by a prompt on Tumblr.August 31st, 2062. “Soviet consciousness-storing project is discovered” said the subtitles below news anchors all over the world, without much variation. People halted assignments to watch as undeniably astonished journalists introduced the last, and perhaps most ambitious, project developed by a team of Soviet scientists who had been deceased for decades, which called everything that was known (or speculated) about an afterlife into question. Scientists from all nationalities work non-stop to recreate a place for these two souls, and who knows, a place for every single one that chooses to stay.To exist, Valery Alekseyevich Legasov thought, was to feel the vast amount of physical and emotional feelings one could feel; was to occupy a place in space and time. Out of all these aspects he attributed to existence, he only checked one now.





	Deep Blue, True Blue

**Author's Note:**

> As every other disclaimer on every other Chernobyl work says -- this is *not* about the real people. Even though it's a little meta, it's about the fictional and dramatized counterparts of these people *only*. May Craig Mazin (and Charlie Brooker, to an extent) forgive me for this.
> 
> Also, a big thank you for all the lovely people from the Valoris server on Discord who volunteered to beta this fic and brainstorm with me. You're the best! Thank you for the kind, encouraging words and all the great advice you've given me. <3
> 
> English is not my first language, but please keep in mind that I'm trying my best. Please comment and send kudos if you like it!

August 31st, 2062

The news that Thursday were shocking. The fact that things were already looking somber for the threatened human race has not prevented fate from taking even more unpredictable directions.

“Soviet consciousness-storing project is discovered” said the subtitles below news anchors all over the world, without much variation. People halted assignments to watch as undeniably astonished journalists introduced the last, and perhaps most ambitious, project developed by a team of Soviet scientists who had been deceased for decades, which called everything that was known (or speculated) about an afterlife into question. 

The project in question had recently been discovered by Russian researchers who, when traveling to a conference in Kiev in 2045, came across thousands of CDs buried deep beneath the ground of industrial wasteland. Most surprising so far was the fact that they were practically intact even though they had been buried so long ago - papers in the dense, huge box indicated that the owner of all this was the Soviet Union government - but no one suspected that 15 years after the discovery of the records, that data, after exhaustive and hitherto considered unproductive analysis, would turn out to be the "paused" consciousness of two men, one in his seventies and one in his early fifties, whose identities were not revealed by the Russian government.

“It took us years before we could assemble and program something to interpret this data,” Agniya Rybakova, leader of the discovery team, told reporters at a press conference with the help of a translator. “What we saw… was something that could happen in a biology lab, but not in a scenario like this one, on a computer screen. We interpreted the data and it responded to us in a way no code is expected to respond. We expect a code to speak in programmed sentences, zeros and ones. This one responded with irrefutable signs of conscious, intelligent life.” Agniya pauses, visibly shaken by her memories. “It was the most absurd experience anyone could ever go through.”

Rybakova explains that until the scientific community believed in the truth of what had been revealed by the Russians, it was another 2 years. "And only then could we reveal what we’ve seen," she says. “There were a lot of things at stake, we had to answer questions first and make our discovery public later, which is not the case most of the time.”

“Can you tell us what you had to prove before you could reveal it to the world?” asks one reporter.

“There were thousands of exhaustive tests until we proved it wasn't just an extremely well made AI. Experiments of all kinds that I can not go into detail about for reasons of anonymity of the subjects, but which were well documented by various international agencies and were enough for everyone, even the most skeptical of researchers, to believe in their results. When and if we can ever reveal their identities, everyone will have access to that information.”

"And what are the plans now?"

“We have a lot to discuss with every sector of society. We do not know the social, political, judicial and psychological implications of this discovery yet. There is so much to do, so much to analyze. I just ask everyone to take it easy and not to make any hasty decisions, after all, we do not know yet how the Soviets did it. We don't even know if we can replicate that feat.”

“Even with all the technology we have today?”

Agniya nods. “Even with all the technology we have today.”

—

"The weirdest sensation in the world is to be alive without breathing or feeling anything.”

The letters appeared on the screen this time without answering any commands or questions.

To exist, Valery Alekseyevich Legasov thought, was to feel the vast amount of physical and emotional feelings one could feel; was to occupy a place in space and time. Out of all these aspects he attributed to existence, he only checked one now.

For the past two years, Legasov's existence was all about answering endless questions and feeling only in the emotional realm. He couldn't touch, couldn’t feel the blood rushing through his veins, couldn’t feel his heart beating. “Three things I found I certainly took for granted, even when my health was starting to fail,” he told a fellow scientist one day.

Alma, the researcher assigned to monitor Valery’s conscience that day, turns on the spoken dialogue system with the click of a button and asks him, her voice dripping with curiosity: “Are you in agony?”

Silence.

“I mean, do you wish you weren't alive?” 

“You couldn’t be more straightforward, you know,” Valery says. “I don't feel _ trapped_, if that's what you're asking. However, I can't stop wondering if I'm _ indeed _ alive--or just--existing.” Even though his voice is coming from a vocalizer and sounds a 100% artificial, it can still convey emotion; and Alma can sense his distress. “I also wonder what people are thinking about this.”

People outside worked day and night to understand the late scientist's state of existence, and to recreate a scenario where he could at least feel, physically speaking. The team interacting with him grew day by day as scientists from other nationalities joined the project, and Valery found himself more conversational in those last two years than in his entire “full packaged” life. 

(Not that there was much else to do without a body.)

The retrospective made for him by a 32-year-old French scientist, Guillaume Pélissier, a few weeks after the discovery, was by far the most interesting interaction ever between two humans. Language was not an obstacle here, which was circumvented by replacing and adapting files relating to it.

“Many, many things happened while we thought you were dead.”

“I'm not sure I want to know.”

Guillaume did not expect that to be the answer, replying with a nervous, though timid, chuckle. “You're a scientist too. I thought you were more curious than that.”

“What _ I _know is that things have changed enough for you to be able to revive me somehow. That understandably frightens me.”

“Understandably. You don't seem to remember the first time that happened though.”

Pélissier could hear the _ I-feel-incredibly-patronized-right-now _ tone even through the vocalizer. “Of course I do. 2060.”

“Oh boy.”

“Wasn't it?”

“Before I tell you the whole story, there are some things you need to know first.”

Only then Valery's life turned completely upside down. No technological resurrection was able to give him the shock Guillaume's news gave him.

The Soviet Union was no more. Gorbachev said Chernobyl had a huge part in it. Legasov’s tapes actually made a difference by shaking the Soviet scientific community to its core and Boris Yeltsin, _ out of all people_, gave him the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his previously snubbed and censored efforts. An old friend of his was also alive, though he had to wait to hear from him because his files would take a while longer to process. There was no way for them to interact directly with each other at the time.

The last part sounded strangely familiar to Legasov, who was completely silent for three days after that. After that period though, everyone noticed he became livelier -- and more cooperative.

—

Agniya presses the speech button with a childlike smile on her face – a rare sight these days, especially after that fateful press conference and the immense pressure and responsibility that came with it – as if she was about to earn a Christmas gift.

“Mr. Legasov?”

“Yes?”

Turns out she was about to _ give _ someone a gift instead. “It took time, but we have something for you. It won't solve all of your problems, but I think it's a big step towards fixing most of them.”

“What is it?”

The older woman plugs two cables on the machine and waits for the longest two minutes of her life. No one says a word or breathes right until:

“He-hello? Oh--my stars--!”

The lab erupts in joy.

Legasov has his voice back.

—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this rollercoaster of a first chapter! If you did, pretty please, leave a comment. It means the world to the writer and helps me know what I can do better, what I did well and gives me some more ideas of where to go from here depending on what *you* want to read. 
> 
> Also, guys, ya girl is a scientist now (Valery would be proud of me!) and as I'm about to start my scientific initiation I cannot promise to update this fic as regularly as I originally thought I would be able to, but I promise I'll try my best in that aspect, with *at least* an update every two weeks or so. 
> 
> Mildly interesting fact about the title of this fic: it was inspired by two songs - Deep Blue by Arcade Fire and True Blue by Mark Ronson and Angel Olsen. Couldn't decide between the two so I used them both and loved the final result. :) 
> 
> Until next chapter!~


End file.
